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Robert Johnson: rare new (third) photograph of delta blues king authenticated after eight years
The Guardian ^ | Saturday 2 February 2013 | Vanessa Thorpe

Posted on 02/25/2014 11:12:53 AM PST by a fool in paradise

...Until now, there were only two verified photographs of Johnson (1911-1938), who remains the most inspirational musician produced by the Mississippi Delta and the man Eric Clapton once anointed as "the most important blues musician who ever lived". This weekend a third, newly cleaned-up and authenticated image has been released by the Johnson estate showing him standing next to musician Johnny Shines.

Forensic work on the photograph began in 2007, when Lois Gibson, who works with the Houston police department, analysed the features of the long-fingered figure holding the guitar. Gibson, who found the identity of the sailor kissing the nurse in the Life magazine photo of Times Square on VJ day the second world war ended, has ruled that "it appears the individual is Robert Johnson. All the features are consistent, if not identical." The only differences, she added, were due to the angle of the camera or the lighting.

The new photograph came to light eight years ago, when a classical guitarist called Steven "Zeke" Schein was searching eBay for an old guitar. He spotted a thumbnail picture with a caption that read "Old Snapshot Blues Guitar BB King???" and bought it. On inspection neither man in the photograph looked like BB King, but Schein noticed the length of the man's fingers on the guitar and the way his left eye was narrower than his right...

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; History; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: blues; music; photograph; robertjohnson
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To: manic4organic

I think we find out more photos of Robert Johnson could be in somebody photography archives

Only photos we saw to date in Robert Johnson box set


21 posted on 02/25/2014 3:40:27 PM PST by SevenofNine (We are Freepers, all your media bases belong to us ,resistance is futile)
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To: Publius

Interesting that the person who authenticated the photo is named “Gibson”.


22 posted on 02/25/2014 6:10:40 PM PST by left that other site
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To: hoosiermama
The Getty Images brouhaha came up when a FReeper made a gag photo composite of Kerry and Jane Fonda onstage together (they were at the same rally together, and even photographed in the audience together, but not onstage together).

It wasn't even up on FR very long before the Left used the photo(s) to discredit the existence of the real image of them together.

The partisan hacks at Getty do not give cease and desist orders to the OTHER websites that host any or all of the images (and google makes it easy to search for images) and there never was the same sort of "outrage" when some Rats added a young GW Bush to the photo of Kerry and Fonda in the crowd.

The topper was that the photo wasn't even uploaded to FR's servers, it was a URL reference to other hosts (sometimes media sites).

Getty sucks. And they lay claim to all sorts of promotional photos that they do not own exclusive copyright to.

23 posted on 02/26/2014 2:30:58 PM PST by a fool in paradise ("Health care is too important to be left to the government.")
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To: manic4organic; SevenofNine

I got to see/meet Robert Lockwood Jr. once. He was Robert Johnson’s stepson (although they were only about 5 years different in age).

Robert Lockwood Jr. learned guitar from Robert Johnson and Charlie Patton.

I don’t have the Robert Johnson boxed set (all the recordings), but I do have all of Charlie Patton’s recordings.


24 posted on 02/26/2014 2:33:26 PM PST by a fool in paradise ("Health care is too important to be left to the government.")
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To: a fool in paradise

OH Yeah I got Charles Patton box set that was good

Props to you meeting dude that knew Robert Johnson some Hollyweird script writer should do bio pic on Robert that be cool


25 posted on 02/26/2014 3:31:59 PM PST by SevenofNine (We are Freepers, all your media bases belong to us ,resistance is futile)
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To: SevenofNine

Your probably right. My uncle had quite a selection of blues recording. Bought some at estate sales in Gary. A couple of really cool pictures of a people tucked inside. Wish I’d been able to get to their auction sale. Couldn’t have afforded it if I had. Everything went so high.
But I have many fond memories listening to that scratchy music in the basement with Uncle explaining who they were and why they were great


26 posted on 02/26/2014 5:20:26 PM PST by hoosiermama (Obama: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then or now)
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To: Red in Blue PA

-— He was known to sleep with ugly women, and did so one time too many as he was poisoned with strychnine and died a horrible death over a period of many hours. -—

It does bring to mind the crossroads legend (as does “Cream’s” live version of “Crossroads.”)


27 posted on 02/26/2014 6:27:21 PM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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